Recipe: Kadali Manja Pakudi (Crispy Banana Stem Fritters)

Recipe shared by Shalini Giri

Kadali Manja Pakudi is a traditional Odisha snack made with banana stem (manja). Crispy, fibre-rich and flavourful, it’s a popular monsoon treat served hot with chutney and tea.

Prep time: 15 mins | Cook time: 15 mins | Servings: 2

Ingredients

• 1 cup finely chopped banana stem (manja)
• ½ cup besan (gram flour)
• ¼ cup rice flour
• 1 medium onion, finely sliced
• 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
• 1 to 2 green chillies, finely chopped
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• ½ tsp roasted cumin powder
• ½ cup fresh coriander leaves, chopped
• Salt to taste
• Oil for deep frying

Get the ingredients here

Method

1. Finely chop the banana stem. Remove the fibrous threads. Wash well and squeeze out excess moisture.
2. Add the banana stem, onion, ginger-garlic paste, green chillies, coriander leaves, salt, turmeric, red chilli powder and roasted cumin powder to a bowl.
3. Mix everything well.
4. Add the besan and rice flour. Mix to form a thick, clumpy mixture.
5. Heat oil in a deep pan over medium heat.
6. Drop small portions of the mixture into the hot oil.
7. Fry until golden brown and crisp on all sides.
8. Drain on paper towels and serve hot with chutney or a cup of tea.